I KNOW THE END

1⒊

August 20th, 2023

THE PARKER RESIDENCE

CLEO

The party was in full swing by the time I arrived. Music blared from the speakers, people crowded into every room, and the energy was buzzing with excitement. I spotted Grace and Lila chatting in the corner, both laughing about something. I couldn't help but feel a little out of place — parties were fun, but I wasn't exactly in the mood for a crowd tonight.

As I made my way to the kitchen to grab a drink, I bumped into Matthew. He was standing by the counter, holding a soda and looking slightly uncomfortable, which was unusual for him. Normally, he was the life of the party, cracking jokes and keeping everyone entertained.

"Hey, Cleo," he said, his smile a bit more subdued than usual. "You made it."

"Yeah," I said, offering a small smile in return. "Figured I could use a break from everything."

He nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "Same here. Things have been kind of crazy lately."

I leaned against the counter, feeling the need to lighten the mood. "Crazy is an understatement. Between school, all the drama, and our friends acting weird... it's been a lot."

Matthew chuckled. "You're telling me. It's like everyone's on edge or something."

We stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, watching as people danced and chatted in the other room. It was nice, just being with someone who wasn't caught up in all the drama. Matthew and I had always gotten along, but there was something different about tonight. The way he looked at me, like he was really seeing me — it was both comforting and a little unnerving.

"Do you want to get some air?" he asked suddenly, his voice soft.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, grateful for the suggestion.

We slipped out the back door, finding a quiet spot on the patio away from the noise and chaos. The night air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful. We stood side by side, staring up at the stars.

"Do you ever feel like things are just... changing too fast?" Matthew asked after a while, his tone more serious than I was used to hearing from him.

"All the time," I said, exhaling slowly. "It's like everything's different now, and I'm not sure how to keep up. People I thought I knew so well suddenly feel like strangers."

"Yeah," he murmured, his gaze fixed on the sky. "But I guess change isn't always bad. Sometimes it just... happens."

I looked over at him, studying his expression. There was something vulnerable about the way he said that, something I wasn't used to seeing from him. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and placed my hand on his arm, hoping to offer some comfort.

He turned to look at me, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. His eyes softened, and the tension between us shifted into something I couldn't quite explain. It was like we were on the edge of something new, something that had been building without either of us realizing it.

Matthew took a step closer, his gaze flicking down to my lips before meeting my eyes again. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized what was about to happen.

For a second, it felt like everything around us disappeared — the party, the noise, the drama — leaving just the two of us. He leaned in slowly, and I could feel my breath hitch in anticipation. But just as our lips were about to meet, the back door flew open, shattering the moment.

We both jerked back, startled, as Grace poked her head out, oblivious to what had just almost happened. "Hey, guys! What are you doing out here? We're about to start a game inside."

I forced a laugh, quickly dropping my hand from Matthew's arm. "Just getting some air. We'll be right in."

Grace smiled and headed back inside, leaving the door ajar. The moment was gone, replaced by an awkward silence that hung between us.

Matthew cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess we should go back in."

"Yeah," I said quickly, trying to ignore the lingering tension. "Let's go."

We walked back inside together, but everything felt different now. My mind was racing, wondering what might have happened if Grace hadn't interrupted us. As we rejoined the party, I couldn't stop thinking about how close we'd come to crossing a line neither of us had acknowledged until now.

But even as we pretended like nothing had happened, I knew things between us had shifted. Whether we wanted to admit it or not, something had changed. And I wasn't sure what that meant for us.

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